


The Camelot Fall

by annoying_antisocial



Series: See you Again my love [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Almost smut, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Awesome Gwen, BAMF Arthur, BAMF Merlin, Crazy Gaius, F/M, Feels, Friends to Lovers, Kilgharrah is being unusefull, M/M, Magic, Matchmaking Gwen, Modern AU, Pining Arthur, Pining Merlin, SO, Violence, after a bit of fake suicide, but not, fake suicide, morgana isnt evil!, sherlock based, yay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-27
Updated: 2014-09-28
Packaged: 2018-02-06 10:20:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1854511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annoying_antisocial/pseuds/annoying_antisocial
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Plot loosely based on BBC Sherlock) Modern AU/Reincarnation AU- Merlin's a bit of a genius, and Arthur's a gifted young member of New Scotland Yard. They both need new flatmates, but when their destiny is rediscovered how will Morgause react?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, yes everyone boo me because I'm using Moffat's idea.  
> So guys in this Merlin is sherlock, Arthur is John, and Morgause is Moriarty. We all know what this means, and if you don't watch sherlock then....I suppose the following will be more of a surprise for you.  
> Yes Merthur will become a thing, and comments and reviews are so loved!

Their meeting was odd, but not entirely unsatisfactory.

“I just need a flatmate.” Merlin sighed, nuzzling farther into his arms with his shoulder hung in defeat. “But...who wants a flatmate like me?” Gwen made a noncommittal noise, because she really couldn’t argue. She and Merlin had shared a flat in their first years of uni, and for her was the most hellishly interesting years of her life.

Merlin was an idiot, yes, he tripped over nothing and flailed when he saw a bug. The amount of cups he broke had driven Guinever to near madness, and honestly couldn’t he just tell telemarketers to go away without buying something? Merlin burnt pots until they melted, and destroyed three toaster, five microwaves, and one blender before he was forbidden to enter the kitchen. He was honestly hell to live with on an average level, but it didn’t stop there.

Walls were covered in random notes, and black boards. Chalk dust hung in the air like fog, and if the wall lacked something respectable to write on, it was dressed in scribbled pencil marks. Books larger than Gwen’s head were thrown all over, and nothing was ever in a place that made sense. She’d find peanut butter under the table, next to a book on computer software. A bag of flour, that appeared to have been used as a pillow, near a window, surrounded by articles on ancient language.

Gwen remembered all too well coming home from a party at 4 in the morning to find Merlin bent over old Gray’s Anatomy books, flashlight in hand and concentration etched so deeply around his eyes she thought it was cemented there. His hand shook from the things he’d written hours before, the chalk notes covering every black board and even some walls. Low in the background music drowned on, the disk probably have been on repeat for hours. Dark bags under Merlin's eyes made Gwen yawn in sympathy, and she was thankful again for choosing to study Journalism.

Merlin Emrys was an idiot, but he was a genius. In school he was top of every class, except physical anything, and the teachers adored is odd work ethic. He was magic in mathematics, a lord in English, and purely frightening in history. The man could memorize nearly anything, and could compare everything he’d ever learned and come up with something entirely genius. To anyone who didn’t know him he was a dorky idiot with a talent for memorizing random facts, but to the people he knew….He was a wizard.

Merlin Colin Emrys may have been the smartest person Gwen had ever known, but it was dreadful to live with.

“You’ll find someone.” Gwen smiled, pulling herself from memories of waking up at five in the morning to shouts of victory and giant equations covering her living room walls.

“Only if they’re blind, deaf, and maybe paraplegic.” Merling rumbled into the table as Gwen rubbed circles into the tense line of his spine. “I’m gonna die in a cardboard box in some ally.”

“Merlin please don’t be ridiculous.” Gwen mumbled, growing tired of this conversation. Merlin had been back a week and was already nearing a large panic attack because of his living situation. Merlin just turned to look at her, shrugging off her arm and pushing his lip out in a small pout.

“I’ve got to go, I have a paper to write up for some medical journal.” Merlin waved a hand, but a small light of excitement hidden low in his strange eyes. Gwen smiled at it, seeing a flash of the Merlin that had been around before. The Merlin that smiled at a flower, and talked on and on about the bones of the human body. The Merlin she -and Lance and Elyan-missed.

The Merlin before his fathers death, before his surprise round the world trip, before his mother’s illness.

“Wait!” Gwen’s dark eyes went wide as she remembered, and the smile on her face was ecstatic. “I’ve got the perfect solution!”

“For my paper?”

“No!” Gwen rolled her eyes, snatching Merlin’s hand with the most frightening smile on her face. “For your homeless man future.”

“Gwen what-”

“I’ve got a flatmate for you!”

* * *

 

Merlin tripped over his own feet on the way to the park, and kept shouting at Gwen to slow down as she giggled and pulled him forward. After ten minutes of cursing and running they were breathless and laughing under a tree. Gwen turned to him, eyes wide and hopeful and all Merlin could do was try and make the best of this meeting, for her.

“He’s been complaining to Lance about needing a flatmate for almost a month now,” Gwen said as they walked, “He’s less clumsy than you, but just as eccentric.” She drew her brow at that, making a face. “Don’t tell him I said that, he fancies himself normal.”

Merlin laughed as she went on about this mystery man. Apparently he was studying law and police work, but really was already running his fathers firm. His father ran half the city, according to Gwen, and was friends with everyone who ran the things he did not. This man could afford any flat he liked in all of London, but was choosing to work as a fencing instructor while going through his schooling. The man, who remained nameless, wanted to prove he could run his own life, and was doing well. He was also a freelance basically anything, and even worked with the police force occasionally.  He was studying to become a member of the force, and had apparently blown some high profile case wide open.

“He’s not even out of uni and already has death threats!” Much to Merlin’s bemusement this made Gwen smile, like it was some wonderful feat. “He’ll be an absolute jerk at first, but give him a chance.” Merlin gulped, this sounded absolutely terrifying, and that was not just because he had social anxiety.

When they finally made it to a large open field, Gwen was done rambling and was now just vibrating with excitement. A few feet in front of them was a group of men, including Lance, Gwen’s boyfriend, and Elyan, her brother. Lance spotted them first, and his face broke into the love sick grin it always did when Gwen was within his eyesight. Elayne saw his friend about a second from drooling and laughed. Both were soon on their feet and making their way to the duo.

“Merlin!” Lance said, throwing one arm around the smaller man’s shoulders and hugging him before turning to moon over Gwen.

“Hey genius.” Elyan grinned, “What’s got my little sister dragging you out into nature?”

“She wanted me to meet someone, something about a-”

“Yes!” Gwen interrupted, bounding on her toes as she waved frantically at the other men. “Arthur! C’mere!” A blonde man looked up, raising his eyebrows and flashing crooked-tooth grin at her before running over.

“Arthur, I think I found you a flat mate.”

“Who?”

“Merlin!” Gwen grinned, flapping a hand at the man in question, who was methodically trying to hide behind Elyan. “He just got back from a round the world trip and is needing someone to help pay rent.

“Oh, already got a place?” Arthur asked Merlin, and his voice oozed ‘I’m better then you and I know it’ as he drug his gaze up Merlin body, causing the shaking genius to sweat.

“A place in central London,” Merlin muttered, looking at his fading converse. “I know the landlord and he’s giving me a deal, but I still need a bit of help.”  
“Where?”

“513B, Albion Avenue.” Merlin replied, and Arthur gave him a pleased smile.

“Suppose I can look at it.”

 

And that is how Merlin Colin Emrys and Arthur Bradley Pendragon ended up together in a flat, testing out new tea remedies for a crazy old physician.


	2. A Study in Dragons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur and Merlin adore they flat, but the same cannot be said about each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so the get to know you period's gonna be quick cause i'm terrible and writing anything remotely happy.  
> I don't own Merlin or this plot format thing, much to my annoyance.  
> I'm also american and know little for your slang and such, sorry.

Merlin was staring at the ceiling, and all he saw was starving children and bleeding fathers that refused to bow to anyone. Merlin did this every morning since he returned, until the sickness in his throat would subside and he could breath without wanting to cry. This was his life, it had been ever since he left, it was what he was used to.

What he wasn't used to was Arthur Pendragon. 

This was the first night they'd spent at the flat, two days after meeting. Arthur had slept there the first day, but Merlin had to pack. In all honesty Merlin was avoiding sleeping in a new place, avoiding the anxiety of waking up crying, blood and pleading faces fading back into his mind. No one knew about the nightmares, all they saw was dark bags under his eyes, and something just a little bit wrong in his features. He wasn't ready to tell anyone what he saw, because what he saw wasn't just the tortured souls of poverty and civil war. He didn't just see his father's face twisted in pain, bleeding out in an alleyway or his mother, limp and weak on a bed.

He saw a castle surrounded in smoke and fire. He heard cries that resonated in his soul, causing his fingertips to tingle with pain and guilt. He saw a pale face and green eyes staring at him in horror, dark hair fanned out behind a thin body, a betrayal beyond words written on their face. His nightmares were haunted by faceless people and creatures, screams and tears that followed him everywhere. He saw his father with long hair and a beard in his arms, brown eyes wide with pain.

Merlin saw a past he couldn't remember, and felt a pain he couldn't describe.

Merlin shut his eyes against the invisible smoke that burned them, held his breath to the fire that clawed into his throat. A few more minutes and he could face the world, a few more minutes and-

" _Mer_ lin!" Arthurs voice broke his concentration, and a strange deja vu over took the genius as he turned his head. "What the hell happened to my shoes?" Merlin growled something very unkind, and pushed his bedroom door open, only to almost slam right into Arthur. Royal blue eyes blinked down in a glare at him, and he matched it with a confused, sleepily look. 

"How am I supposed to know?" Merlin hissed, pushing past a very disgruntled Arthur who just followed him into the main room. 

"I've got to be at New Scotland Yard in an hour  _Mer_ lin, I need my shoes!"

"I'm not your servant," Merlin felt strangely like he was lying, but ignored it as he prodded at the coffee maker. "How am I supposed to know where you put your shoes?"

"Whatever." Arthur growled, dropping to his stomach and searching under the ugly floral printed couch that had come with the flat. "Just help me look, would you?" The blonde man rolled onto his back, giving a defeated groan as he stared at the ceiling. Merlin peaked around the doorway from the kitchen to the main room, tilting his head to the side. "This is your fault." Arthur accused the ceiling, but Merlin assumed he was speaking to him.

"My fault?!"

"Yes, I don't know how but you are to blame!" Arthur complained, pushing his palms into his eyes. He began muttering curses in a long string. "I've been waiting two years for this and now I'm going to miss it because of shoes!" Merlin's chest constricted a little at the desperation in his flatmate's tone, and cursed his all to loving nature. Merlin snatched up the only other mug from the cupboard and filled it with coffee. 

"How do you take it?" Merlin asked pleasantly, already done dropping two spoonfuls of sugar into his own. 

"Black." Merlin hummed in reply and carefully walked into the room with two cups. He set Arthur's gently on the small, dark wood table, and cradled his to his chest. "Thanks?" Arthur eyed the glass as if expected it to sprout a tail and sing Lady Gaga to him, but gave a smile to Merlin. The dark haired man just rose an eyebrow slowly and took a sip of his own coffee, waiting for Arthur to start the conversation. "I'm applying for the Detective Programme."

Merlin nodded once, waiting for the blonde to continue. After a moment of just staring at each other Arthur got up in a flurry of motion and dove towards the bathroom. After the sound of at least one shampoo bottle hitting tile a loud 'Ah Ha!' filled the flat, followed by a very pleased Arthur emerging from the bathroom, a pair of shoes in his hands. He grinned triumphantly at Merlin as he hopped across the floor, pulling the shoes onto his feet.  

"Where?"

"Under the sink." Arthur said with a short shrug, and Merlin blinked at him. Arthur just smirked as he moved through the flat, coffee mug in one hand and paper in the other. "Wish me luck, idiot."

"I hope they laugh at you, prat." Merlin mumbled, surprising himself with the lack of feeling behind it. Arthur left the room laughing merrily, coffee mug with him as he pounded down the stairs. Merlin could hear Gaius' surprised shout as Arthur probably nearly knocked him to his back, and Arthur's fading apologies and then the door slamming shut as the future-detective finally left. Merlin enjoyed the silence of the flat for all of 12 seconds, he counted, before Gaius was walking in.

"Where was he off to in such a hurry?" The old physician asked while walking towards the kitchen. Merlin looked up to see the man regarding the dishes with his eyebrows raised so high the young man flinched. Gaius went to work organizing the pile of dishes, that appeared in record breaking time, while he ran the water to fill the sink.

"He's going to go apply to the detective programme." Merlin said as he unfolded himself from the armchair, walking towards Gaius uncertainly. He truly did fear the eyebrows powers. "You don't have to do our washing up."

"I have nothing else to do." Gaius said defensively, rolling up the sleeves on what Merlin could only describe as a muumuu. "I'm not your housekeeper, you know."

"Then why are you-" Merlin was halted in his sentence by the eyebrows, and nodded once. "Yes, I'll remember that." He mumbled, scurrying back to the living room, hugging his coffee cup like it was a life line. The young genius curled back up on the couch, knees pressed to his chest and coffee cup leaving a warm circle on one knee, as he stared unseeing at the wall. A math problem was working it's way through his mind, slowly, and soon he was on his feet. 

After a desperate search through his boxes he found a large chalk board and a box of chalk. He began nailing the board to the wall, ignoring the odd looks from his landlord, and was furiously scratching at the black surface. Numbers strung out in front of him, shapes and letters working their way over the entire surface, chalk dust comfortably filling Merlin's airways. 

Soon Merlin felt the usual shaking in his wrist, and his knuckles were scraped from dragging over the black board every few minutes. After an hour he put up three more black boards, and his face was ghostly with the chalk dust settling on it. Gaius left silently, letting the smell of bleach and water fill the flat as Merlin moved from his mathematical problem to a set of bones found in the Thames. He had photo's attached to the walls, and the file spread around his feet as he began seeing everything everyone missed.

His mind fell into place as he began to point out faults in the bones. He was shaking and grinning when he finally identified the body, which had been sitting in the dust at Scotland Yard for three years. He called the only DI he knew, Gawain, and emailed him the discoveries. The body was that of Catrina Tregor, a psychologist from the states who was helping work out a serial killings case. A moment later he received a reply, Gawain was asking if Catrina was also killed by the killer they'd asked her to help catch. 

_'I'm no Dr. Brennan, Gawain, but I'd have to say yes.- Merlin_

Was his reply, and his stomach tied itself up at the thought. He'd helped the police before, only on little things that usually involved mathematics, but he'd studied the human body and memorized it well. His professors used to tell him he was magic, the way he understood everything, he could be an expert in whatever he pleased. Merlin's one and true love was mathematics, but the way a human body functioned was a close second. He knew without a doubt that the person responsible for Catrina's death had killed the other three victims in the file. 

* * *

Arthur came home late that night, smelling faintly like alcohol and perfume, and wrapped one arm around Merlin's shoulders. Merlin dropped his book on criminal justice with a loud thunk and flailed desperately, pulling at the muscled arm wrapped around him. "I-" Arthur began, but was interrupted by a hiccup which he scowled about. "am now a detective!" Merlin grumbled into his arm, thrashing about until the words sank in.

"Well congatu-fucking-lations, now release me!" He grumbled, pulling at Arthur's arm until the offending appendage disappeared and left Merlin tumbling to the floor. He was face first into the carpet, limbs splayed out around him, with Arthur howling laughter when his phone rang. After a battle with gravity he was on his feet, answering the rattling device with a few angry pokes. "Hello?"

"Merlin!" Gawain's low voice shrieked, and Merlin held the device away from his ear to stare at it. "He's back! The scarlet killer, we found another body."

"Yes, right why are you calling me?"

"You're now officially a consultant on this case." And with that the line went dead, and Merlin was left, gobsmacked when he received a text message with an address. Merlin replied with his exact thought on being forced out of his home at midnight before pulling on his converse and jean jacket. 

"W'ere you goin?" Arthur mumbled from the couch, arm slung over his eyes. 

"I've...got some work."

"What kind of work 'appens at midnight?" Arthur said, rolling over to stare at Merlin with tired eyes, all excitement drained away.

"Uhm..." Merlin shoved his wallet in his pocket, confusing even himself with his next word. "Murder."

* * *

 

The body was just what Merlin could expect from the Scarlet Killer. A red symbol carved deeply into the woman's chest, her eyes left wide open and staring at the ceiling, where a matching symbol was painted in her blood. Pale white limbs with blue veins curling around them were splayed around her, fingertips coated in scarlet red liquid, dripping from wear they hung at her sides. This woman was laying on a table, arms hanging off the edges, face contorted into a grin and completely nude. 

Merlin rose his chin, ignoring the disgusting lurch his stomach gave as he stared at the body. Gawain left him to look, to calculate, to try and disconnect himself. Merlin had done this before, but only a few times had he seen the bodies. He'd calculated where a rapist lived by where he'd taken his victims, and he'd uncovered an entire underground organ selling scheme with a few numbers, but rarely did he actually see bodies. Before his round the world trip he'd been a consultant on almost everything Gawain wanted help on, but when he left he hadn't heard from the DI. Merlin had assumed he'd upset the older man with his sudden departure. 

"What's the symbol mean?" Gawain asked, inclining his head toward the ceiling and squinting. He turned, ridiculously long hair moving like a model and Merlin was certain one of the forensics girls swooned.

"Chinese symbold for a dragon." Merlin said, brow drawn. "The first symbol had been for destiny, the second for doom or death, the third an ancient flower, and Catrina's.." He paused, watching Gawain swallow heavily. He'd been friend with the psychologist, they'd known each other well, and gotten on brilliantly, her death was probably a kick in the gut for him. "Meant magic." 

"So.... Destiny, doom, flower, magic, and dragon.." Gawain said, frowning as he looked to Merlin. "Is your genius mind comming up with anything?"

"No..." Merlin breathed, and Gawain recgonized the look covering his face. The DI had even said his eyes turned gold when he got like this, thinking to hard and to fast to be human. Merlin was sorting through every book he'd ever read, myth he'd ever heard, and even a few songs as he tried to decode the message behind the words. "Why now? Why do they come back now? After almost a year and half with nothing....Why now?"

"Crazy people, Merlin," Gawain said, his voice teasing but resigned. "Do crazy things."

"Yeah, but usually they have a reason. A crazy reason that probably makes very little sense, but a reason!" Merlin argued, stepping closer to the blank face of the woman on the table. He circled her body, eyes scanning the deep cuts in her ivory chest. Blood leaked around them, but you could tell wear the cut ended. Torn skin was frayed around each slice, and the blood pooled between her breasts and beside her neck. Drying rusty liquid attached itself to the woman's blonde hair, causing it to curl in a sickly fashion.

"What's your reason?" Merlin breathed so quietly no one could hear.


	3. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merlin's been working himself to near death on the case, and Arthur refuses to let it continue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so this is most likely the last remotely happy chapter....Yay....  
> The Scarlet killer is a lame name, i'm aware.  
> And yes, I know this story is rather crap so far....im sorry.

After the dragon body was found Merlin grew more and more agitated, burying himself deeply into his chalk dust and paper towers. He stayed up all day and night writing and erasing and throwing fits and nearly breaking into tears everytime he looked at a photo of one of the women. After the first day, when Arthur woke up just before dawn to get a glass of water and saw Merlin crouched on the floor, face tucked in his legs and breathing heavily as he dug his fingers into his scalp, the young detective started bringing his flatmate food and water at random intervals. 

Arthur knew about the killer, everyone in Europe knew about the killer, but he'd reviewed the case himself after Merlin's first shouting match with the chalk board. It was hellish, and Merlin had been investigating it since the first killing four years ago. They'd thought the killer had stopped, that with Catrina they'd drawn last blood and left. 

That was until was until a week ago, when the body of a woman named Nimueh had been found, the symbol for a dragon carved into her sternum. 

Merlin had gone down hill from there, and even if he and Arthur weren't exactly friends Arthur couldn't let him destroy himself, now could he? He was a brilliant idiot, and he consulted with Scotland Yard frequently, closing their most difficult cases. Arthur wondered though, why was Merlin so invested in this particular case? It had to be something personal, his devotion to bringing the killer down went above and beyond any one Arthur had ever met. 

Not to mention the haunted look that slithered onto his face whenever one particular file caught his eye. It was never opened, and Arthur never dared touch it. The look in Merlin's always changing eyes stopped him whenever he even thought about the file. The deep, icy iris's swirled with a pain Arthur could never understand when they even glimpsed the brown cover, and Merlin's hand worked at frightening speed on the chalkboard. 

"Merlin." No response as he drew out another long equation, then turned to a board covered in chinese symbols. " _Mer_ lin!" Arthur tried again, but gained no recognition from the man who was now hopping over the coffee table with a grace that didn't quite fit with the facts Arthur knew about the man. "Dammit Merlin, stop!" He growled, snatching Merlin shaking wrist in his hand and pulling him away from the facts.

"Arthur I have to-" Merlin was stopped dead by the look on Arthur's face. His mouth was open, all words gone as his eyes widened impossibly. Merlin tilted his head, but Arthur just stared. Stared at high cheek bones, and sleepless eyes and dried blood where Merlin bit to hard on his lip. "What?"

"You have to sleep." Arthur said at last, pulling Merlin towards the bedroom he'd claimed. The genius retaliated by tugging hard at his wrist, but to no avail as Arthur just pulled harder. "Just for an hour, but you have to."

"No! The case-"

"Can wait, you look like hell." The genuine worry in Arthur's tone startled both of them, but the blonde ignored it in favor of throwing Merlin on to his bed. "You are going to stay here and sleep, even if I have to tie you down!" Arthur nearly threw Merlin into his sheets, and the smaller man was to tired to fight him off as Arthur cocooned him in his duvet. "Stay." The blonde warned in the voice of a commander, then he disappeared through the door. A moment later he was dragging one of the living room chairs through the door, waddling as he tugged the large leather piece of furniture until it was situated in front of Merlin's bed.

"What are you-"

"I'm gonna make sure you sleep." Arthur replied, snapping the newspaper he pulled from his back pocket open and settling into the chair. Merlin stared at him in bewilderment a moment before lying back, staring at the ceiling until darkness pulled him into it's arms.

* * *

_It was cold, and wet, the smell of rain and blood invading Merlin's nose as he shuffled through the dimly lit alley way. Shadows without owners flashed in the corner of his eyes, and the slap of his bare feet against wet concrete echoed in the air. He stumbled helplessly in the near darkness, nearly collapsing every time a shapeless darkness flitted past him. His skin prickled with heat even as his toes felt frozen in the puddles. He walked until the bottoms of his feet were bleeding, the scarlet liquid curling around the rough pavement, black and red broken up by clear water._

_His blood soon began to make a shape, the symbol for magic surrounding his feet. Something like a storm tore through his body as he made it out, and his eyes followed the slow moving stream of red even when he tried to stop them. He walked forward, feet cut open and aching as he broke into a run, the blood stretching just out of his reach._

_He ran for miles and hours, at least that's what it felt like, until he was stopped dead by the smell of apples. Apples and roses mingling with an iron tang and rain, like a wall holding him back. He knew what waited for him past the barrier, the only thing in this world that he knew smelled of apples and roses. Merlin walked forward, despite his mind screaming for him to stop. The need to see and the need to run battling deep in his gut, making his stomach curl and kick until he was certain he was going to vomit._

_Merlin turned one last corner, his hand lingering on the sharp jut of bricks when he finally saw the one memory that haunted him more than any other. Dark brown hair surrounding a delicate, frightened face like a demons halo. Unseeing brown eyes staring up into the stars, rain leaking down perfect cheeks like tears. Innocence and pain fighting for dominance of her frail face, and blood streaking down her neck. Merlin's eyes went to the mark on her chest, the mark of magic. He could see it's matching mate on a wall, her blood trickling down the bricks._

_In her hand was a rose bud, the one he'd given to her their first date. His body shook with the tears he couldn't bear to let slip, and his throat burned. A dreadful feeling, **guiltpainangerwhythefuckdidthishappenihateeverything,** over took him as he stared at the nearly black waves of hair spread around her. Perfect, simple finger tips covered in blood, splayed at her sides. On her left hand ring finger was a white band, one diamond in the center, and Merlin's heart broke all over again looking at it._

_"Freya." He whispered to himself, and even his voice sounded like a death wish as he looked over his once fiance. The love he felt still burning low in his stomach, matched with grief like he'd never imagined he could feel._

_He stared for what felt like days, but could've been minutes, as the rain streaked down he frozen face, and washed away the blood of her heart that ran around her, like the organ was still beating even when she wasn't breathing._

* * *

Merlin flew out of his nightmare with a start, a dry scream hanging in the air as his face itched terribly. Arthur was there beside him, once hand on his shoulder, the other on his face as his eyes flew frantically over Merlin's face. "Oh God..." Arthur breathed out, the hand cupping Merlin's jawn falling to his shoulder as the older man let out a stricken breath. "You scared the hell out of me, Emrys." He mumbled, pulling away from Merlin and flushing from his neck to his ears. 

"'M fine.." Merlin coughed out, and moved to get up but was halted by a firm hand on his chest. He raised his eyes from the appendage to meet Arthur's eyes, that seemed to glow in the streetlight the bled into the room. Arthur's firm jaw line and raised chin, matched by straight shoulders and well hidden worry in the lines on his face told Merlin he wasn't going to be able to run away from this.

"Merlin, what the hell's going on." Arthur sighed, and dropped his hand, all defiance left him. Merlin began to say he was fine, but Arthur just sighed deeply. "I haven't known you long, genius, but I know something's wrong."

"What do you care?" The words were out before he could stop them, "We're just flatmates, you only need me for rent."

"Yeah and if you get thrown in a mental hospital what good are you for that?" It sounded rude, but Arthur's tone betrayed him, words he'd never dare say out loud obvious in the night air. Merlin nodded once, because he understood something that even Arthur couldn't name. 

"Just...some tea, some tea and I'll be fine." Merlin said with a lopsided grin, and the desperation in his silver eyes broke Arthur and he nodded. They both walked to the kitchen in silence, and Arthur put on the kettle, crossing his arms and leveling a glare at the device until it chimed. 

After two cups of tea and one episode of Dr. Who everything was left to silence. Arthur worried at his lip, but didn't bring up the deep pain that Merlin had worn when he woke up, tears on his face and sweat beading his forehead. Merlin didn't mention Arthur very un-prat like behavior, and they went about the next few days in a relative understanding. Arthur still sat inside Merlin's bedroom every day, making sure he slept at least an hour a day, and still made him eat and drink. 

In turn Merlin let him help where he could, pointing out faults in logic and letting Merlin few any files he didn't have clearance for. It seemed Arthur could get anything in the Scotland Yard database whenever he liked, and when Merlin asked Arthur just flicked his wrist and mumbled "My father runs the country", and Merlin laughed-even though he suspected it wasn't exactly a joke. 

After a week of waking up to tears and a desperate need for tea Arthur decided he'd had about enough, thank you, and confronted Merlin.

"What's going on?" He started, very eloquently, blocking Merlin's exit. "You wake up every night with this...look, and...and you won't even look at one of murder files, not to mention the fact you nearly killed Gaius for bringing apples into the flat yesterday." Merlin stared at him, face pale and arms wrapped defensively around himself. "Merlin, we aren't... I know we aren't very close but-You're my flatmate and... Well I just want to make sure...and-and..." 

"Arthur, look, it really doesn't matter-"

"Yes! Yes it does matter, Merlin, because..." Arthur was lost for words, as he always was with emotional talks, and pulled at his hair in desperation. "It just does, alright. It matters, and I want to know!"

"Arthur..." Merlin sighed, slow and resigned as he looked pleadingly at his flatmate once more. When he received nothing in return but an expectant eyebrow raise, that Arthur must have learned from Gaius, he decided to explain as vaguely as possible. "The third case...I had a personal connection to." Everything angry drained from Arthur in a second, leaving a pale, hollow look in his usually pompous face. Merlin looked away, already prepared for the pity that the statement always received. 

_"_ Oh." Arthur decided on after a minute of silence, and buried his face in his hands. "I'm a jerk." Merlin blinked at that, because it wasn't exactly what he expected.

"Well, yeah."

"I shouldn't have.." Arthur blew out a sigh so large Merlin thought it could've destroyed a small village. "Yeah, alright, no more questions." Arthur put his hands out in surrender and the small, creeping feeling of fondness that had begun in Merlin's heart broke free and danced through his veins like a ballerina. He grinned at Arthur, and his pink cheeks and his look of utter confusion.

"Thanks." Merlin said in a small voice, but his dimple was still there and Arthur concluded that emotional talks weren't for them, and he'd rather see that idiotic smile.

"Yeah, well..." Arthur spun on his heels, snatching up a Thai take out menu and waving it at Merlin. "Food?"

"Yes...yeah," Merlin agreed, feeling like something in his life had just slid itself slowly into place. "Food."

* * *

 "Who's the princess?" Gawain asked, feet propped up on his desk and a muffin in his hand. He inclined his head at Arthur, who was in an epic battle with the toaster, and smirked. "Has he ever seen a kitchen before?"

"That's Arthur," Merlin replied, smiling as the man in question began ranting at the toaster, looking as if he were describing the very painful death that he planned for it. "He's a prat, but he's not so bad at the mystery solving." Gawain scoffed rolling his eyes as he always did when Merlin referred to his job like he was Fred on Scooby Doo. Arthur was now very close to the toaster, brandishing a spoon at it and saying something very low and deadly. 

"Does he think that yelling at it will make it work?"

"It's...very possible." Merlin sighed, but the smile on his face betrayed the put-out tone of voice. Gawain, of course, saw it immediately and the grin on his face could've blinded someone. He elbowed Merlin so hard he nearly fell from the chair, and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

 "He's your flatmate right?" All Merlin did was nod, afraid any words may provoke the beast. "Is that what they call it now?" Merlin internally cursed any sort of God he could think of, which was all of them, as Gawain spun in his chair, laughing. Arthur threw the office door open, his face red and furious until his eyes landed on Merlin. The pinched look smoothed just a little when Merlin burst out laughing, and Arthur tried very hard to pout.

"The toasters evil." Merlin gave the most serious look he could, nodding in an exaggerated fashion. "No, it is. It works for the devil, it's out to get me!" Arthur complained, throwing his hands out for emphasis. Gawain and Merlin shared a look before both of them dissolved into very manly giggles, and Arthur glared. "You will see, one day it will come alive just to kill us all and then you'll know i was right."

"And you can savor the look of embarrassment on my face before I am murdered by a blood thirsty toaster." Merlin agreed between fits of laughter and Arthur gave up and joined the two men, clutching his stomach as the room filled with ridiculous howls. They all slowed their laughter, avoiding looking at each other for fear they would all break into giggles again, when the door was slammed open.

Elena stood in the door way, and the look on her face caused all three men to sober instantly. "It's them," Her breath was heavy, like she'd been running. "The Scarlet killer."


	4. Mithian

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new victim is found, and Arthur finally begins to understand Merlin's horrible dreams.

Merlin and Gawain stare at the blonde, three completely sickened looks covering their faces as Arthur sat staring. Never had the Pendragon, Prince of everything he wanted to be part of, felt so utterly useless. He watched, jaw tight and eyes hard as the three moved in a flurry, collecting coats and camera's and nearly falling over each other to get out. Arthur sat, hands buried in his lap, and eyes on the floor as he waited for the investigators to leave the office.

"Princess," Gawain said, grinning like an idiot, even if the look didn't quite reach the depths of his eyes. "Gonna sit there looking tragic, or gonna come with us?" Arthur barely hid his smile, because this was a crime and one had to be professional, as he pushed to his feet. Narrowing his eyes at the DI, who saluted him, he followed the trio outside. 

This was Arthur's first real chance at a real case as a real detective. He'd cracked a few cases while studying criminology in Uni, and had always been talented at reading suspects like open books; but never had he actually had a gun on his hip and badge in his pocket. This case was real, this case mattered to all of Europe, and to Merlin. Because, even if he tried to pretend he didn't, Arthur's new flatmate somehow mattered. They'd known each other only a week and a half, but Arthur never wanted to see him cry again. It was worrying, honestly, that he grew so attached to some genius he knew almost nothing about. 

A quick taxi ride got them all to the scene, where the forensics crew buzzed like nats and passerby flashed pictures to instagram. Everything was loud, lights flashing like shouting voices in the night, people pushing and prodding to get a better view. It made Arthur sick, but also the rolling sense of wrongness in his gut made him drain of color. If the other two men noticed, they stayed blessedly silent. 

"What is it this time?" Gawain asked, and Arthur could yet make out the body. All he saw was dark chocolate hair hanging off the side of a bed. 

"The symbol means...royalty." Merlin said, brow scrunching together. "What the hell is their message?"

"Maybe there isn't one."

"No," Merlin said, and his voice was cold and determined in the silence. "No, they're telling a story. They want us to read their story." Merlin sounded so heartbroken, hatred and grief fighting in the tremors of his voice as he stalked around the mattress. Arthur's view of the body was blocked by bumbling idiots, but he could see the room clearly. Pale walls with pealing paint, a mattress with no sheets lying on a rotten wood floor, blood dripping slowly from the white fingertips of this woman. 

"Have we identified her yet?" Gawain asked one forensics worker, and finally Arthur was able to see the body. Never once had he wished so desperately to unseen something. Thin, white, skin pulled over the bones of her gaunt face, elegantly square jaw hung open in a look of shock. Faint lines from smiling to much framed her wide, tortured brown eyes, even if she was barely in her twenties. Two braids pulled dark brown hair from her face, and the rest was wavy, blood drying on the ends. Her chest bared a symbol Arthur didn't recognize, but still it made him want to pass out. Veins scrawled around the bloodied gashes, skin torn around each opening that caught sticky red liquid, holding it there in bubbles.

"Mithian." Arthur said in a gust of breath, and everyone turned to him. His eyes were flying over the body, his hands shaking, and his entire posture looking like a man just beaten. Merlin was beside him in a second, and Gawain was close behind. Both men drug him from the scene, leaving the sound of bustling and the smell of tulips soaked in blood behind. "Mithian, that was Mithian." He repeated, dropping onto the hood of the nearest police car, propping his face in his hands as his body shook. Arthur wasn't crying, the tremors were more like shivers, like a blizzard had unleashed itself within him.

Arthur buried his finger in his hair, and he felt numb. A slow shock filling his body, replacing the cold with a void of absolutely nothing. "Mithian's dead." He said, more to himself then to Merlin, who was running a hand lightly over his shoulder in attempted comfort. They sat there, it could've been years for all Arthur knew, until Merlin drug him home.  

Gaius helped Merlin lead is shell shocked flatmate up the stairs, and was soon set on making his newest tea miracle. He said it would help Arthur relax, and hopefully avoid any form of panic attack. Merlin just sat beside Arthur, who was staring at his hands with dead eyes, close enough for comfort but not touching. They stayed like that, switching from tea to coffee around 4 am, until Arthur spoke as the first lights of day invaded the glass world around them.

"She was," Arthur's voice was breaking, and Merlin tried to explain that he didn't need to know. "I don't care, I have to say it, make it...real." After a few deep breaths Arthur was able to speak, and his voice made Merlin ache deep in his bones. "She was my closest friend as a child, we grew up together, she and my sister and I. When I left for Uni she went to Africa for some relief program. She was so selfless and honest and...God why would anyone kill her?" Arthur said the last part to himself, and then the mug in his hand was flying across the room and crashing against the wall. Merlin didn't bother getting angry, and rose to his feet to clean it up as Arthur paced the living room, cursing and crying. 

Arthur leaned against the window, arms crossed and gaze on nothing. He watched the early morning rain play on the glass, twisting and bending and chasing down the pane, and he felt nothing but a low burning pain. He watched as the early morning business man splashed through the puddles, and hear the driftings of phone calls fill his ears until the rain came back and pounded right before his face. It was odd, the glass like a forcefield, wind whipped water at him but it thwarted by the glass he stared through, smacking against it with a pang and slowly dripping down. He felt the cold ghosting from the outside, trying to claw inside of their home but blocked out by bricks and glass and wood. 

"Eat." Merlin said softly behind him, holding out a plate of toast that Arthur rose an eyebrow to. "Gaius made it. "Arthur gave one nod, and something near a smile flitted over chapped lips. Merlin counted that as a victory, and moved to begin working on the case.

* * *

 

A week of silence only broken only by the shuffle of papers and the occasional curse word- and a mental breakdown for both parties- and Arthur and Merlin were no closer to uncovering a single thing about the killer. Both barely ate or slept or did anything but write and read and obsess over files, only two never getting looked at. Two brown folders no one mentioned, to victims no one dared bring up. Two clues that were practically ignored because neither of these men could distance themselves enough to accept it. 

Gaius walks through the room once a day, leaving tea and biscuits, and leveling the best eyebrow raise he has at the two boys. Neither responds, and he hangs his head low, locking his hands and leaving again. Neither of the tenants notice the resigned sigh, nor do they notice the disapproving stares that Gwen and Lance give the single time they visit. When Gawain comes, Merlin's scribbling with such a desperation it's painful and Arthur is clicking through old stories on his laptop, back bent as he presses closer to the screen. The DI backs out slowly, and his met with Gaius who just stares sadly at the men.

"They've been like this almost two weeks." The old physician says as he pours a cuppa for Gawain. "They do nothing but work this case, it's going to destroy them."

"If I'd know this would happen I wouldn't-you have to believe me, i never wanted-"

"I know, Gawain, I know."

* * *

Lance and Gwen return, bringing cake and Morgana. Merlin looks up at Gwen and smiles, but then his face draws in confusion at the sight of the woman. Something cold in his stomach drops, the memories of betrayal and poison and magic all choking him as she smiles sweetly, with an edge of villainous. When Arthur turns around he nearly falls over on sight of the woman, and her smile turns into a predatory smirk as she stares at the flailing blonde.

"Little brother!" She coos softly, "It's been so long!"

"Morgana!" Arthur practically squeaks, but there is a fondness in both of their acts that makes Merlin want to wrap them in a hug. "Hi...What are you..I mean...This is my flatmate, Merlin!" Arthur points a finger at Merlin, and nearly does a full on cartwheel to get out of his chair. 

"Is that what they call it these days?" Morgana chimed, sending a wink to Gwen, who returned a giggle as Lance followed Arthur into the kitchen. Merlin suspected Arthur's goal was to hide, and when he locked eyes with Morgana he knew she thought the same. He smiled at her, and she stepped forward, offering her hand. "I'm not as bad as he makes me seem."

"I'm sure," Merlin returned, ignoring the strange urge to bow and kiss her hand, instead just shaking it. "He does tend to exaggerate." 

"Do not!" Arthur argued, peeking around the kitchen doorway to brandish a very tiny knife threateningly at Merlin. Merlin eyed the object before raising an eyebrow and Arthur groaned, ducking back into the kitchen. 

"So, what brought this surprise visit on?" Merlin asked politely as he rearranged the living area, and tried to hide all murder related papers under one of the chairs. "Not that I don't appreciate beautiful people with cake." He laughed, and the two women joined in with giggles as they settled onto the couch.

"Gaius had us worried." Gwen explained, leaning forward. "Said you two were working yourselves to death." Merlin scrunched up his face at that, rolling his eyes. "So...you're fine?" Gwen did not sound or look convinced, and Merlin shifted from his position on the floor to rest his hands over hers and smile.

"We are fine, Guinever." He assured, squeezing her hands once and giving his best ridiculous grin. "We're just working, you caught us in the middle of a break."

"Wonderful!" Morgana clapped her hands, and somehow the spurred Arthur into action because a moment later he was carrying cake and tea out with Lance behind him, both showing very impressive balancing skills. Arthur set a piece of cake gently before his sister, who nodded her approval as he placed the tea beside it. Arthur set the the other plate and cup down in front of Merlin and ran back into the kitchen to grab his own.  

After all the cake and tea was handed out, and Lance and Gwen stopped playing footsie under the table, the group found themselves in silence. Gwen told a few stories about her boss, Vivian, who was a total snob, and everyone laughed. Casual conversation went on idly for almost an hour before Morgana said that they better get going. Everyone said their polite goodbyes, and Gwen, Lance, and Merlin were down talking to Gaius when Morgana cornered her brother.

"I'm sorry." The true concern in her voice almost surprised Arthur, but he was still in shock from the tears surrounding green eyes. Before he could speak she was wrapping him in a hug, face buried in his shoulder and the tears she had probably suppressed ever since she found out burning on his shoulder. "Sh-she's gone...I can't believe...I didn't get to say g-goodbye." She rambled as he rocked her slowly, standing alone in the living room as a slow rain started playing a melody on the outside world. 

"I know Morgana.." He whispered into her hair, taking in the familiar scent of lemon shampoo. "I..God, I know." And he did. He knew that at first she probably stood still in the living room, phone pressed to her ear, unable to think or breath as a voice repeated her name. He knew his stoic sister, with her pale skin a queen like walk, probably crumpled against a wall, ending the call without another word. Arthur could picture it, Morgana biting her lip, tears teasing at the corners of her eyes as she held the necklace looped around her neck, the one Mithian had given her the day she left to study social services at Uni. He could see her cheeks dark pink, smell the burning pot on the oven, hear the strangled breathing as she shook with tears she wouldn't share with this tortured world. 

He knew Morgana, and he knew that's what happened when she found out.

"I barely saw her all year," Morgana whimpered, clutching his shirt. "A lunch here, dinner there but...but I just.." Morgana never let anyone see her sadness, except Arthur but he really didn't count. "I was to busy...And now? Now she's gone..Dammit! She was... I loved her like a sister, you know I did, Arthur. You did too, and I was to fucking  _busy_ and now she's dead!" This always came shortly after tears for Morgana, anger and self-deprecation. She pulled at her hair, but he kept his arms firmly around her until she settled against him to fall into renewed sobs. 

"I had lunch with her a month ago, to tell her I got a flat with a freaky geek kid." Arthur whispered, smooth the back of Morgana hair as she took a deep breath. "A month, I texted and called but...A month, Morgana, and now...now I'll never get another phone call." His voice cracked, but Morgana was looking up at him and he knew it was now. Now, with his sister and one of his closest friends, that he had to say it. "I keep expecting a text at three A.M, ranting about a television show..Or-Or a phone call to rave about a book or a boy she met. I look, everyday, expecting to see three messages like I always had when I woke up. And they...They just aren't there. They're never there."

He was crying now, not as desperate or angry as Morgana, just sad and resigned. A slow acceptance and grief washing over him like it did every time he saw his phone. Like a breeze that ruffled his hair and turned his nose pink, it was soft and horrible. It scratched at his heart every day, slowly wasting him away as his phone stayed silent. Never did it play 'Hollaback Girl', Mithian had picked her own ringtone, she'd grinned when she pointed at the song, at the small hours of the morning. Never did he get shouted at over the latest episode of 'Hannibal', or 'Supernatural'. Some nights he even woke up, the fading images of a young girl spinning on her toes, white dress flowing out around her as she stuck her tongue out at him disappearing into the night as he stared at his phone, wishing it to ring. 

Morgana nodded at him, brushing the tears from his face and pushing his hair from his face with light touches. There were moments, like this, where he felt like a little boy again. Waking up from nightmares about armies and battles and giant dragons burning a castle, and he'd pull his knees close and rock back and forth, trying to muffle the tears. Uther just glared when Arthur mentioned nightmares, told him to be more of a man, but Morgana would peek into his room. She stand in the doorway a moment, the glow framing her body like she were an angel. Then she tip toe to his bed and pull him into a suffocating hug, rocking with him until he the bloodied faces and crashing of swords were forgotten. Then, she would sing. Soft and perfect she would sing, any song she could think of. Some night it was lullabies, like 'London Bridge', but other's it was Queen songs or the latest pop hit that had played all day on the radio. Every night her voice would wrap around him like her arms, and he would fall asleep with his big sister telling him that she'd never let anyone hurt him.

"I-I have to go," Morgana whispered, and Arthur nodded, squeezing her once more before letting go of her entirely. The air felt cold on his chest where she'd stood, but she looked less tortured now, so he smiled. "Call me, eventually, and we can have dinner." She took one of his hands in hers and squeezed it, smiling gently at him. "Promise?"

"Promise." He returned the squeeze before she let go and left the room, looking perfectly composed and stately. Arthur leaned heavily against the wall, taking in a few deep breaths before he heard the tell tale steps of Merlin. They were fast, but every few there would be a stumble and a short curse, and then they'd pick up again until the gangly idiot was through the door. Merlin looked at him, the stupid smile fading so quickly it was frightening as he looked at Arthur.

"We'll...catch them." Merlin said, and Arthur felt the now-familiar sense of happiness he got whenever Merlin just  _understood_ , without words. He was horrible with emotional talks, he could convince an entire room of idiotic lawyers to try and take over Denmark if he wanted to, but anything involving feelings? Ah, he could make someone hate him in two sentences. 

"Not if we keep standing here." Arthur smirked and Merlin rewarded him with a smile before they both went back to their jobs. Merlin wrote and wrote and worked out problems that Arthur was certain were in Latin. Arthur read and researched until he thought he could recite every well known legend and myth on the entire planet. It was familiar, in a depressing sort of way, and Arthur revelled in it. The silence and chalk dust that he'd warmed to in a frightening amount of time. Merlin had somehow become the most normal oddity in his life within the first week they became flatmates. Arthur enjoyed it, even more now, after losing something so much part of him.

Arthur stopped reading a moment, stopped just to watch Merlin. Watch the way the lines in his wrist jutted and disappeared with each line of chalk. He saw the tense line in Merlin's shoulder resolve itself as the problem fell into place in his hectic, brilliant mind. The way Merlin moved like a dancer from board to board, file to file, the most graceful thing Arthur had ever seen, and he'd seen Morgana. Merlin changed when he worked, like the noise in his head finally silenced and he could just move. Move like the wind, soft and perfect, never disturbing the area around him. When he worked his genius became blinding in every movement, the catlike waltz he did around stack of paper. How he jumped over the coffee table, and found the exact piece of paper he wanted without any effort. It was mesmerizing and gorgeous, this Merlin who was effortless and like magic. Blue eyes looking golden like a sunset, long pale fingers dancing over numbers and words like a pianist working Beethoven. Arthur's heart skipped a beat as Merlin's teeth drug over his perfect bottom lip, and he had to look away before getting caught staring at the other man's mouth.

* * *

 

The rest of the night went as it always did, Merlin working feverishly and Arthur researching with such a determination it could make an outsider feel ill. Both men stealing glances and trying to tell themselves the flutter in their chests was just nerves, or exhaustion. Easy silence filled to bursting with thoughts and wishes and grief over taking the flat. The words that were never spoken fell so thick in each atom of carbon dioxide and oxygen forced even Gaius out of the flat. No one called, and no one came for almost three days as the men barely spoke or ate, each only sleeping when they literally fell over.

From the outside it looked like desperation, obsession. To Gaius it was painful to witness, to Gwen it brought tears, and to Morgana it only brought a hollow gut. To Gwaine it was his fault, he kept saying he shouldn't have introduced them to a case, they were to young, to close; but he couldn't take them off, not now. Arthur had been transferred to the case, and Merlin was very officially known as a consultant. When Morgana had told Uther he'd said "Ah, shame...Nice girl." And turned back to his paperwork, and when his daughter explained Arthur's behavior he sneered. "He shouldn't react so fiercely, he's such a child." Morgana had left and never told her little brother, or spoken to her Father. 

From the inside it was blissful hell. The words both of them started to say trapped by the look on the others face. Two files went untouched, unmentioned except to be included in the facts. Two files sat like a double elephant taking up the air space. Some days it rained, some it didn't but if you asked neither men could tell you what day it was thundering at what day it was bright and sunny. Inside their flat was silence only broken by "Hand me that paper" or "It's alright, it's okay, it wasn't real" when one or the other wakes up in sweats and tears, shaking and near screaming. Nightmares followed both of them, and after they woke up neither mentioned it other then the brief moments. The hug and desperate words, while the other panted and pulled their hair until reality came back to them. Then there was tea and work. 

"Merlin," Arthur broke the delicate silence for the first time, and the flinch Merlin gave made it all the more painful. "We...can't keep doing this. "It was a whisper, the words no one said but everyone knew. The Voldemort of 513B. 

"We have to." Merlin bit out, but his shoulders sagged like he'd already given up the argument.

"I don't mean give up," Arthur said, setting his lap top aside. "Never are we giving up. I will not-No, cannot give up. But this," He gestured to the flat, dark and empty, tea cups scattered and paper everywhere. "This can't keep happening. We have to...get out, talk to Gwaine and talk to people. Lance and Gwen are having some party tomorrow, we...should go." Merlin nodded slowly, and both men knew that it had to end. This was grieving, but you couldn't grieve forever. 

"Yeah, alright." Merlin set down the chalk, and the shaking of his hands made Arthur want to punch a wall. "So now we..."

"Order some food and then," The next words had to be torn from him with a rusted dagger, "Sleep." It was like a curse word, worse then any you could say, to them. The two men who woke up in panicked tears, screaming and fires chasing them some night, others it was blood and empty, beautiful faces. Merlin's breath went in sharp, and his shoulders were as straight as an arrow. The tremor in his hands grew and chewed his lip until Arthur rushed over, putting both hands on the other mans shoulders.

"I..Arthur, I-" He broke off, burying his face in his hands. 

"We can sleep...together-I mean like, on the floor or something, just tonight. Just...to make it easier." Arthur's face was so red it burned, but Merlin didn't turn to look.

"Really?"

"Yes idiot, now find the take out menu." Arthur ruffled Merlin's hair for good measure and began staking up the papers strewn over the floor and tables. "Tell Gaius we'd love some tea."

"He's not out housekeeper-"

"I know," Arthur smiled, pushing everything onto a desk that was amusingly bare in the corner. "But he makes damn good tea."

Merlin went down stairs laughing, a real and true laugh, and Arthur thought maybe together they could make life a bit less like torture; and catch the killer.

 


	5. The Great Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the murders seem to fade and the scarlet killer appears to be going into hiding something no one suspected shatters Merlin's world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a while, my loves, I'm so sorry! Well we're back, and the next chapter will be better I'm so sorry this one sucks so horribly!

“Gwaine what the hell, it’s two A.M!” Merlin croaked down the phone line, holding the device to his ear as he rubbed sleep away with tired strokes. The house was silent, not even the sound of Arthur’s snoring drifting from across the hall way. After the thought danced through Merlin’s mind, he realized what that meant. He was on jello legs, pulling the red dressing gown around his thin waist as he kicked books away from his path. “Gwaine?” A strangled noise trickled down the line as he pushed the door open, light from the bathroom invading his eyes as he bumbled into the living room. No shape was under any of the clothes or papers, no noise from the kitchen. No swearing from outside, or mumbled excuses skipping up the stairs to avoid the latest miracle tea.

Empty.

“Merlin,” Gwaine’s voice finally replied and he sounded lost, guilty. “They're calling for you.” For a moment Merlin thought this was a dream, a nightmare, but when he pinched himself he felt pain. “It’s...Well, them Merlin. They say they have something you want.”

Them.

There was only one person Gwaine wouldn’t call by name, because they truly didn’t have a name. Breathing gone short, all the pieces sliding into place. Phone calls the past week, nothing on the other line but breathing. An envelope, inside was nothing but the line ‘And he cried, buckets and buckets.' A thousand times over burnt paper, every line of hand writing different. Merlin had checked, compared, researched. Every line, hundreds of lines, each written by a different person. Some written with pencil or markers, and even a few with crayons, letters incorrect and words misspelled.

Last Tuesday Arthur’s shoes had gone missing, his favorite pair, and a jacket. Black, red stitching, short military style; eye catching, to say the least. Every day someone was outside, passing and stopping, staring until Arthur and Merlin hid under the table in the kitchen and Gaius told them it was all clear an hour later. Merlin remembered those days, strangled giggles like children, bodies pressed together and breathing sharp. Merlin’s skin burnt, but his face ached with a grin.

All of it odd, pointless, Arthur blamed it on his fan club- He’d solved a case, then defended the killer he put away in court. The press nearly devoured him whole. Gwaine said it was crazies who read too many blogs. Gaius just thrust tea at Merlin and told him to ‘trust his instincts’, crazy old man.

“Arthur.” Merlin replied after a two minute silence, hand shaking as it dug deeply into his cheek. He was already on auto-pilot, converse shoved on sockless toes, large black trench coat he’d forgotten he’d owned pulled over dressing gown. Wallet in pocket, phone on ear and mind set to logic rather than emotions. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.” He hit the red button, watching Gwaine’s stupid, smiling face turn to darkness.

Merlin burst into Scotland yard in a flurry of dark hair and coat tails, teeth chattering and face sweaty and red. Gwaine was waiting, Elena by his side holding a dark red phone in her pale grip. Merlin was to them in a moment, the back of his feet bleeding from improperly putting his shoes on. Elena pressed the phone to his convulsing hand, a pathetic smile gracing her lips. Merlin turned away sharply, setting it against his ear.

“Hello?” He rasped, kicking the shoes off in random directions. Bare feet slapping against cold tile, blood tickling his ankles as he sucked in each breath like a prayer. “I can hear you breathing, who is this?” He growled, but the startled cry from the other end sent a shiver down his spine.

“Emrys.” Child, a young boy spoke, voice frightened and sad. “Emrys help me.” The boy whispered, and Merlin could hear the tears braided in his voice. “They say you must solve the puzzle. To find me, to save me Emrys. They say you must put all the pieces together before you can have your prince. Help me Emrys."

“Prince?” Merlin managed, toning down the panic in his voice.

“Arthur, the once and future king. You must find me, I’m the first clue.” The little boy was near sobbing now, but he was brave and strong. “The women tell a story, a story only you can know. Follow the story, let the women tell their tales. You have 12 hours.” With that a dial tone rang through, daunting and terrible as it shook Merlin’s ear. He pulled the phone slowly away, pressing the end call button slowly. He stood a moment, digesting, analyzing, picking at the words and pushing them away in his chaotic mind palace.

In a flurry of limbs Merlin was spinning, bare skin on cold tiles as he ran back to Gwaine -When had he gotten so far away?- the coat he’d thrown on billowing behind him like a cape. Gwaine and Elena stared as he ran past, both following like loyal servants. He burst into the main office, making his way towards Gwaine’s office when a woman stepped into his path.

“Lima.” He greeted with false cheer, and she crossed her arms looking up at him. They’d never gotten along, not since she started her internship three years ago. He explained to Gwaine that if she was still an intern after three years she really wasn’t worth it, but the DI was blinded by puppy love. Lima had slept with almost all the male workers at Scotland yard to keep her job. The only people unaffected by her ‘charms’ were the women and Merlin.

“Why is the freak here?” Lima asked Gwaine even though she was standing in Merlin’s path. Elena sneered at the shorter woman, raising to her full height and squaring her shoulders. Lima wasn’t frightened. “Shouldn’t he be in the mental clinic by now? Bloody psychopath, that’s what you are. Why would a genius want to work on murder cases anyways?”

“They’re interesting.” Merlin replied, and the smile he plastered on fell away. “More interesting the equations and old history books anyways. Now, move.” It always surprised him how nasty he got with Lima. He’d tried to be kind for a while, but eventually dropped the act. Now the two had a legendary feud going between them, the entire office loved the drama they created.

“Psychopath.” She repeated, and rooted herself to the floor. “Freak. I don’t know why we work with you.”

“Because you are too stupid to even make sergeant, let alone catch a serial killer.” Even Merlin flinched at the words, but didn’t even try to apologize. He didn’t have time for her insecurities and bullying, Arthur was in trouble. “Now move, or you’re going to be at fault for the death of Detective Inspector Arthur Pendragon.” The words seemed to echo in the room, papers stopped fluttering, phone calls ended, even the clicking of the computer halted around them. Lima’s eyes were wide and uncomprehending as she stared up at Merlin.

“Move, Lima.” His voice was low and dangerous.

“No Freak, if one of ours is in trouble we’ll find him.” She spat, but then her face paled. Merlin felt a mix of concern and confusion but before he could ask every paper in the office went flying into the air. Folders, paperwork, files crashing into the air.

Something traced up Merlin’s veins as it all went into chaos, like a familiar ghost dancing icey fingertips over his skin. Lima was still shell shocked, slowly looking around until her eyes fell back to Merlin. Her fight was gone, all that was left was a tortured surprise as she watched his thin back rushing through the blizzard of papers.

Merlin jumped over a desk, sliding across the top and burst into the door. He threw his phone at the bewildered woman, his clear eyes wide and pleading. “I got a phone call, you have to trace it!”

“Alright, Merlin, alright.” Her voice was steady, calm as he paced her small office. She began her work with a worried, fond expression as he stepped all over her paper work.

“Sefa, what does it mean?” He asked her, but more her office air. She didn’t respond, she rarely did. That’s why Merlin came in here, the girl always let him ramble at her, pace her floor, even collapse on the ground by her desk. She never asked, just gave him tea and smiled while he spoke too fast for her to understand.

"Women showing up randomly. No pattern, no similarities, only those damn symbols! Follow their stories? What stories? They all led mostly normal lives. Nimueh was a fortune teller turned model, Catrina was an FBI psychologist. Sophie had been a rich girl who just followed the parties. And...and the other two were normal." Sefa didn't ask, as she never did. Mention of Freya, and now Mithian, was just shy of forbidden within the yard. The last person who spoke of Merlin's fiance ended up with warts and a broken ankle, both freak accidents but old legends made people wary. The unfortunate forensic tech that spoke of Mithian now sported a scarred lip and broken nose. Arthur was more forward with his opinion, a nice few punches right to the face making his point for him.

"Okay...Okay the first victim was Sophie. She had the symbol for ‘destiny’...Destiny, alright so you start a story out with the first page-Or victim. So it goes destiny, doom, flower, magic, dragon, and royalty.” Merlin pulled at his short hair, then pounded his hands against his temples.

“It’s like a fairytale, but in the wrong order.” The frazzled genius turned towards Sefa, desperation in his bright eyes. “If it were your story, how would it go?”

“M-me?” The woman squeaked, shaking her head. “Merlin, that’s sweet and all but I know n-nothing about this case and-”

“Sefa, if it were your story?” He pressed his hands down on the desk, leaning towards the woman he bit the side of his lip. “Help me, please.”

“I-If it were mine…” The mousy girl began, looking up at him shyly. “I’d say it went magic, dragon, destiny, royalty, flower, doom...O-Or something.”

"So...I start with magic. Catrina?" Merlin said, throwing his messenger bag onto Sefa’s desk. The forensic tech jumped, eyes wide as she watched merlin throw files across the desk. After a moment she heard a triumphant 'ah HA!' before the young genius reappeared. He held a brown file folder up as if it were the world cup and grinned. "Found it." Merlin declared before hopping onto the table by her door and opening the file. "So maybe its something about Catrina. Places she visited or friends she made, maybe her old flat or...or..." Sefa watched as Merlin's face took on the blank surprise everyone in the yard knew. Generally referred to as Merlins 'this doesn't even make sense' face, which means he found a clue no one else saw.

Neither party noticed the coffee cups behind Sefa doing a little dance…

***

The light of the morning dripped through the curtains as Gaius made his way upstairs, responding to the text he’d gotten from Gwaine. Well responding to the text he’d gotten from the DI five hours ago, because he hadn’t been able to make the phone Arthur had given him work until now. The old physician carried in a cup of tea that he’d made especially to calm nerves, but had added a kick of caffeine to help Merlin keep working. “Oh my boy…” Gaius sighed, seeing that Merlin had literally laid out the entire life of the victim Catrina on the walls and floor of the flat.

“Three months before she died Gaius!” Merlin exclaimed, leaping over the table and waving a stack of papers at his landlord. “She quit her job, stopped talking to her friends, almost like she was possessed. I mean she did it slowly, obviously, but she changed.” Merlin said, blue eyes full of light as he scribbled away on one of his chalk boards. “She started going to a club, it was called ‘Trolls cauldron’, weird I know. I think she got into something, something that connected us to our killer.” Merlin spun, chalk dust scattered in his dark hair and smeared over his cheeks as he smiled at Gaius.

“Ah...So you’re going to go and investigate the club without any back up I assume.” Gaius sighed, setting the cup down. He crossed his arms, lifting the dreaded eyebrow so slowly Merlin’s skin itched.

“I’ll uhm...I’ll take...Lance!” Merlin finally said, looking a bit perplexed by his own choice of companion. Gaius’ eyebrow went impossibly higher, and Merlin shrugged with a grin. “And Gwen...we’ll check it out together.”

“I don’t think it’s safe-”

“Gaius, please…” Merlin’s smile fell so quickly it made the older man’s head spin, and the desperation in the icy blue eyes was near painful to witness. “They took Arthur, and I can’t-won’t- let anything happen to him.”

“Fine…” Gaius sighed, picking the cup of tea up again and setting it in Merlin’s hands. “But be safe, I won’t have both my boys leave me…” With that the older man was gone, leaving Merlin to stare at an empty flat with his stomach turning as he sipped at cooling tea. He couldn’t help but recall the past few weeks he’d spent with Arthur.

_“Merlin!” Arthur sing songed, making Merlin’s stomach twist. The shorter blonde sauntered right up to his flat mate, stepping between him and the chalkboard he was writing on with a grin on his features. “We have to get you out of here, you’re paler than Morgana!” Merlin glared at him, then turned back to his board and began to finish the algebra equation he’d been working on. “I want to introduce you and Gwaine to Percy!” Arthur groaned at Merlin’s unimpressed eyeroll, turning to dramatically flop over onto the couch. “You’ll love him, well after you’re done being scared. What? You’re a chicken, Merlin, admit it. Anyways, Lance and I met him at fencing practice once, super big guy hard to miss, and Lance decided to go and talk to him.”_

_“As much as I love you’re backstory,” Merlin dead panned, turning to glare at his flat mate once again. “I’ve work to do.”_

_“You always have work!” Arthur groaned, kicking his feet like a child. “It’s like you married it.” Merlin snorted, Arthur continued. “If you don’t come out with us Gwen will come here and get you.” That made Merlin pause, because Gwen-while sweet and wonderful-could be scary as all hell, then again she’d always understood his work. Merlin kept writing. “She’ll bring Morgana.” Merlin was showered and dressed in 10 minutes flat._

The genius sighed into his tea, ignoring the tightness of his throat as he turned back to his board. He still had a few anomalies to work out before that night.

***

Arthur hurt, well actually ‘hurt’ wasn’t the correct term. He ached, burned, and felt like his bones were slowly cracking inside of him. Cold tile was pressed up his side, and his face felt numb. After a few movements he discovered his wrists were bound tightly with scratching rope, and his ankles as well. After the rest of his senses caught up the smell of chlorine burnt through his nose, and stung at his eyes. His throat was dry, so dry he swore he tasted dust, and his head was pounding like a bass drum.

“Hello?” Broken, pathetic and small is how his voice sounded when he finally spoke. All he could hear was the echo in the tiny room. The darkness, dust and dampness made him assume it was some sort of locker room. Combined with the smile and the faint blue color of the tiles against his face he suspected it was for a pool. “Dammit…” He muttered, pushing and scraping his bare feet against the tiles. His pajamas were thin and quickly soaking through to stick against his skin, and the fringe of his hair was hanging in his eyes.

Arthur wiggled and twisted until he was sitting up against shockingly cold lockers. A handle was digging into his shoulder, but he didn’t have the energy to move any further. He pulled a few more times at the binding, only earning himself angry red welts on his wrists. Somewhere in his foggy mind the captive realised this was probably to bait Merlin, or maybe his father.

The detective let his head fall against the cool lockers, sighing once again and shifting a little as his shoulders began to cramp. Arthur closed his eyes, praying to a God he didn’t believe in his flat mate was as much of a genius as everyone thought he was. Arthur wasn’t going to give up, but he had little hope of escaping on his own. Merlin had to have noticed his absence by now, right? Arthur smile a little at the thought of Merlin, unaware he’d been kidnapped from his own bed, asking for a new piece of chalk and getting no response. Arthur knew his flatmate-best friend?- well enough by now he could see it. Merlin asking once, twice, three times before walking into his room to yell at him. Then he’d call Arthur a few times, and finally freak out and run down to the yard screaming and flailing in his robe. The entire picture made Arthur’s sleepy mind extremely amused, and he began to giggle softly.  

It’d been three more hours of shifting, pulling, and screaming before Arthur decided he was entirely screwed. His clothes were soaked by the damp air and his sweating, his muscles were aching, and his wrists were bleeding now and he was back to sitting up against the lockers. Arthur blinked at the lonely grayness around him, unable to do anything but think as he hoped his friends would find him. A strange, but welcome memory of Merlin happily made it’s way into his idle mind, making the horribly gut wrenching situation feel somewhat lighter.

_Merlin was upside down, hanging half his body off the couch and staring intently at a right side up picture across from him. Arthur was standing in the doorway, his robe on and his hair wet as he inspected the situation before him. There seemed to be a trail of papers leading from the photograph to the couch, also a pen and half a sandwich._

_“Not eating?” Arthur asked, sitting in his chair and waiting for the reply. He knew it would take a moment to get through to Merlin in this situation. He was so far away when he was thinking Arthur could announce his undying love and it would reach Merlin three days later._

_“No, I don’t have time.” Merlin replied five minutes later, and it took Arthur a moment to remember what he asked. He’d been reading the newspaper at the time, catching up on the cases Gwaine had solved recently. Arthur set the paper down and found that Merlin was up right once again, and staring at him. Apparently whatever mystery the picture had held the dark haired man had solved._

_“New case?”_

_“Yes.” Merlin replied, giving Arthur the ‘and I’ve solved it’ grin. “A woman named Mrs. Hudson called me, complaining about how she thought a new painting in her favorite museum was a fake. I talked to a few people, called Gwen and proved the woman’s theory.” Merlin hopped up from the chair and went to pick up the photograph he’d been staring at. “You came in a few minutes ago with your hair wet, and that’s when I realized the problem.”_

_“My..hair helped you solve it?”_

_“Yes, thanks by the way.”_

_“How did it help?” Arthur sighed, raising his eyebrows at his friend. Merlin just smiled in response, and Arthur knew he wasn’t going to like the answer._

_“Hot water. It made me think of the time before hot water, then of the exploding water main in my home town this one time. Water everywhere, my house was flooded and Will kept swimming it. It was gross. Anyways, I though that, like, stars explode right? That makes new stars and galaxy or whatever, I hate astronomy. I looked at the sky and right there!” Merlin jabbed a skinny finger at a dot in the sky. “That star didn’t exist when this was supposedly was painted, see, so it can’t have been the real one, obviously.Well unless the painter, Mr Sir whatever, could see the future this was fake!” Merlin grinned at Arthur, who had to admit he was impressed by his flatmate yet again._

_“Brilliant, as usual.” Arthur said, but then leaned forward and he saw the dread in Merlin’s face already. “But the way you told that story made you sound like a nutter, or an idiot, either way.” Merlin sneared at him, and Arthur smiled condescendingly in response._

_After a while, and all the papers had been picked up because of Gaius’ eyebrow, Merlin looked over at Arthur. The blonde turned from the television to meet the unsure eyes of his friend, but Merlin quickly turned away. Arthur gave a deep sigh, and pretended to watch the telly until Merlin decided to speak._

_“So, uhm, did you..erm...did you really think it was brilliant?” Merlin finally asked, still looking at the dancing colors on the screen. The nervous hitch in his voice made Arthur’s throat constrict. Arthur snorted, making Merlin to turn and blink at him._

_“Of course I did, idiot.”_

Arthur blinked the fading images of the memory away, his head dropping forward as he inspected the darkness again. He was falling asleep again when the sound of sharp heels hitting tile startled him. He sat up as straight as possible, eyes wide and searching the darkness. A door on the farthest wall from him swung open to reveal dim yellow light outlining a thin, feminine figure. Arthur strained to make something on the woman’s face out but he could only see blonde curls and a wicked grin.

**“My prince,” Her voice purred through the empty room. “Good to see you again.”**

**Author's Note:**

> Short, short, short! But the first real chapter will be up soon, and yes this is totally a 'fuck yo feels' story. Sorry <3


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